Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog

Guess who’s footing the bill for drug rehab after all?

If you thought drug and alcohol addiction didn’t affect you.  Think again.  There is a huge volume of data relating substance abuse and associated costs to the average american taxpayer.  In fact, an exerpt from a recent Join Together online newsletter regarding this matter reads:

“Two decades ago, the cost of providing addiction treatment was split about evenly between private and public payers, but today taxpayers foot the bill for more than three-quarters of all treatment, according to a new report.A study funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that 77.4 percent of treatment in 2003 was paid for by Medicaid, Medicare, and other federal, state and local sources, up from 50.4 percent in 1986. Meanwhile, the private sector’s share of the treatment cost burden slipped from 49.6 percent in 1986 to 22.6 percent in 2003.

Private insurers, who paid 29.6 percent of treatment costs in 1986, were only paying 10.1 percent by 2003. Total dollars paid by private insurers for addiction treatment fell from $2.8 billion to $2.1 billion during the same time period.

Fewer patients were paying for treatment out of their own pocket, as well: in 1986, 13.8 percent of treatment was self-paid, but that fell to 8 percent in 2003.”

While insurance companies are generally regarded as slimy, money-hungry, profit-pushing penny-pinchers, they don’t carry all the blame.  A huge problem lies in our social health care system, in that drug rehab programs don’t have to prove that they work in order to receive our tax dollars to treat people who cannot or will not pay (with or without the help of family members).

Here’s something that may be news to some people - treatment costs money! It has to be paid somehow.  So, if you’re not paying for it, and your insurance isn’t paying for it, then we’re all paying for it for others!

“Disease Model” Faulty for Drug and Alcohol Addiction

In the wake of recent celebrity news regarding drug and alcohol rehab failures, one could begin to wonder about the effectiveness of treatment facilities.  Lindsey Lohan recently completed her second stay in a well-known Malibu facility, only to be arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and cocaine possession a few days later.  This example made the news due to the high profile lifestyle of the person involved, but is a repeat story for many other less than famous individuals who complete more traditional types of drug rehab programs.

Dr. Marc F. Kern, a Beverly Hills addiction expert, chalks the problem up to an outdated model and outdated treatment.  Many current rehab facilities treat alcohol addiction as a lifetime problem – either you will drink yourself to the point of death or you will attend meetings for the rest of your life.  This outmoded style, according to Dr. Kern, scares people off and stops them from getting real help.

In an interview with CBS News KCAL9 in Los Angeles, Dr. Kern alludes to the fact that it could be monetary gain that drives the unchanging treatment model.  He wondered why anyone would put themselves in the hands of a facility with only a 15% success rate.  Indeed, when looking over the statistics of 12-Step programs and other treatment facilities, one can begin to wonder if there are any workable programs.  This author suggests researching the success rate of any potential program in order to attain real help for drug addiction. Of course, you can also call or write to us and we can help.

Drug Rehab Labeling

The diseasing of America continues to rear its ugly head.  From the pill-pushing brain-0-philes has come Congressional action to officially label drug abuse as a disease.  I guess our elected officials have zero intention to do what’s right or follow what’s truthful.  Just ask Michael Moore - but’s not a partisan issue - it’s across the boards up and down both aisles.

This disgusting giant falsehood has spread so far that it is being accepted by even those who claim to help people in drug rehab centers.  Guess what? Nobody will ever be expected to permantly recover and take responsibility for themselves and their addiction if they’re told it’s not their fault - that their brains made them do it!  Meanwhile, we’re dumping truckloads of cash - your money - into programs to treat “co-occurring disorders” and other mental illness bs (I challenge any individual to present factual information that any mental illness is a real disease with precise pathology - it can’t be done).

You want real help for drug and alcohol addiction?  Call or write to us and we’ll do our best to assist you in finding a program that really works to help people lead successful, happy, productive, RESPONSIBLE lives.

Finding Middle Ground for Drug Rehab Coverage

Substance abuse and mental health advocates have been trying for many years to have equal insurance coverage for these problems.  The major difficulty is that most Americans thankfully don’t believe that drug addiction is a disease.  Trying to connect it with heart disease or diabetes is a completely fraudulent claim. 

Yes, it would be great for insurance to pay more for drug and alcohol rehab programs, but not endless coverage.  And, we like to keep it separate from other mental health issues, because they are a whole different beast and money-making scheme. 

Insurance should pay for rehab, but only a few times and only those that work.  There should be a national outcomes monitoring program and instead of in-network and out-of-network benefits, there should be “works” and “doesn’t work” benefits.  In other words, the insurance would pay more for a a program that has demonstrated that it can actually help people become drug and alcohol-free, not claim it’s an incurable disease and that relapse is probable.  That’s a bunch of bs.

It’s true, insurance sucks, and the concept and companies are equally responsible for the decline of our nation’s health care as well as rising costs, but in this case, let’s throw ourselves a bone and try to hold drug rehab centers accountable for their actions too.

Drug Abuse in the Workplace

A recent survey conducted by the nonprofit Hazelden Foundation found that drug addiction in the workplace is a major problem for HR Specialists.  However, like the community at large, it is also a problem which goes unhandled for any number of reasons. 

HR Specialists, like parents and teachers, are uncertain of what to look for in identifying substance abuse problems.  There is an uncertainty that the individual will discuss his or her problem.  Additionally, there is a lack of confront in handling the situation and a lack of information on treatment options. 

Nearly all those surveyed did identify one point which, if implemented, could bring about a turning point in handling this situation – education.  Programs for the workplace to educate HR Specialists, Managers and the general employee would go a long way to handling the problem.  The result would be increased productivity, decreased absences and an overall feeling of trust between employers and employees.  Best of all, with the right drug and alcohol rehab program, a life could be saved.

More Famous for Drugs and Rehab

Who the hell is Pete Doherty anyway?  On this side of the pond the only things he’s well known for are his supermodel girlfriend, his drug use and accompanying arrests, and going in or out of drug rehab centers.

Supposedly he has a career in music or something, but nearly every picture of him he looks pretty wasted.

How would you like it if you were more famous for drugs and rehab programs than for your profession?  He better watch out, or Tom Sizemore and Lindsay Lohan will surpass him in that department!

Inaugural Drug Rehab Blog Posting

There are several professionals from the drug and alcohol rehab field that work with this site in order to provide help and solutions for addiction problems around the country.  By adding a blog to this site, it gives each of our professionals an opportunity to share information with you about their experiences and thoughts working in this field and helping people find effective drug and alcohol rehab programs.